Could 2008 Bekele beat 2023 Jakob in a championship 5k?

Bekele could end the war in Ukraine in your wet dreams. Doesn't matter, he never did. Different era, Different runners. He's irrelevant compared to Jakob.

I never doubted his kick and I think present day Jakob is one of the best runners ever. I was just pointing out that, inarguably, 55/56 to close a 12:48 isn’t beyond Bekele since he closed a 12:48 in 53.03. It’s obvious from your post I was replying to that you haven’t given Bekele’s track career due diligence before acting like an expert.

Mostly I believe that the posters saying “Obviously Bekele would DESTROY Jakob” or “Obviously Jakob would CRUSH Bekele” are both being unwise. It would be an incredible race and the outcome would likely vary day to day and based on different pacing/competitive circumstances. Both are all-timers and I feel no need to try to cut either one down nor assign either one Godlike status.

Way to avoid addressing my point. (But then you are obviously a troll and have no real rebuttals.)

Well it's a good thing I didn't said that then. It's not how much speed you've got, it's how much you've got left, and Bekele just isn't getting to 200 to go with more in the tank than Jakob. If it's a 13:10 race, Jakob is just gonna ratchet up the pace from 1k out like he did in Eugene. If it's a 12:40 race, Jakob is just gonna sit on Bekele while he tires himself out leading for 4800m, and Jakob is close enough in fitness that he'll have more in the tank that last 200.

Also Lagat was never close to 7:54 shape. I think peak Lagat is beating Jakob in a 13:10 race, but he was way better at 1500 than 5k. Meanwhile Jakob is the Olympic Champ in the 1500 and anyone who's following the sport thinks he's gonna be better at longer distances.

Ok I feel like this is just disrespecting Lagat and Bekele. Lagat became the first person to ever win the 1500/5k at WCs in 2007, and he won silver/bronze in 2009. That's a better medal record than he had when he was running 3:26. Hard to say that's not prime Lagat tbh.

I remember watching the 10,000m on the morning of the 2008 Pre Classic (a few hours before the televised meet started). Bekele ran 26:25. I can’t recall if he was going for a WR, but I do remember that he surged on something like the 19th lap and dropped a :59 or :60 in order to get back on pace. That kind of strength is hard to replicate. I mean, it’s actually probably not been replicated by anyone since. He won 6 long course World XC titles and handicapped himself on the first five by running (and winning) the short course the day before. Fat Bekele ran 2:01:41.

On the other hand, Jakob is going to be very difficult to beat. If Bekele has a kryptonite it’s a souped-up 1500 guy with legit strength (a la El G).

As long as we’re giving super spikes to both or neither, then I’d bet a small amount of money on peak Bekele FTW. I do think this is an interesting and very close hypothetical matchup.

nur closed in 2:19 at USAs in a 13:25 race in heat. Is mo farah comparable to that. Lets be honest jakob would have close 3 seconds faster

Jakob averaged 58 for 3218 meters. A random 59 or 60 does not phase him even a little.

Medals mean nothing when you're a one-hit wonder. Like Centro.

Devastating kick alright. Couldn't even muster faster than a 55 to run down Wightman - and Jakob was in the lead at the bell.

Imho, with the new technology, Bekele wins 8 times out of 10 in the 5000m. Jakob is an immensely great runner no doubt, and may become the best distance runner of all time, but he's far from unseating the current GOAT. It's like the Jordan versus Lebron debates at this time - absolutely ridiculous.

A troll? I'm a troll because I don't agree with your hard-on for the past. Jakob i the man of cans. Bekele is a man of never. It doesn't matter what he could do, he never did it.

What a moronic imbecile you are. Bringing a man when he's down. He got gold days later in the 5000 against a stacked field. Wightman loses 9/10 times against Jakob and he got lucky. Bekele lost 2012 Olympics and has a crappy inconsistent record in the Marathon. What good is imagining 2009 when he's a nobody today just an old washed up has been.

I understand now why you have no clue about Bekele. All you know from him is the few times he came back from injuries or retirement to race here and there. He still ran 2h01 in the marathon off erratic training and being overweight though. That should give you a hint about his abilities.

For me, if you could alter the course of time and insert Bekele into the modern era or Jakob into the 2000s, with all that was different about training, shoes, etc. (so if you went to the 2000s, Jakob had no modern advantages/knowledge or if you put the race in the 2020s, Bekele did get them), Bekele wins in either case. If you literally plucked one out of time just for the race and said, "off you go," Jakob would maybe most likely win, but if you ran the event 10 times, he would not win all 10, Bekele was that good. They have each showed they can win major championships under multiple race scenarios -- Olympic record pace, sit-n-kick, whatever. But with only one race to settle it, I just picture both of them dipping at the line, side by side, with both clocking something ridiculous like 12:28 and a photo deciding who wins.

Some of us don't have to imagine prime Bekele, kid, we were there to see it. You're doing him a massive disservice here.

He averaged 58.92 for 2 miles, but that doesn’t mean a 59-60 is going to be easy for him after already running 18 63s and with over 2k left to run.

I wish people would stop saying Bekele ran 2:01:41 when he was overweight; he slimmed down and got into great shape for that race. He was 37 though, on the far side of numerous injuries, and ~18 years into his international career…isn’t that enough?

That's not nice of you.

How is Jakob down? He's doing just fine running PBs and World Bests.

2012 was Bekele's 3rd Olympics. One could say it was past his peak.

Also remember, he did 10,000m prior to the 5,000m in both 03/04. He was still young then and didn't have the best tactics in either of those races.

so you are trying to exclude Jacob's 5,000m as it wasn't a time trial...but has run them frequently but including Bekele's 1 1,500m attempt?

XC may be boring now to you but watch those years where Bekele ran XC and all the big names ran every year